FISHING REGULATIONS

Laws and regulations are frequently amended by the Legislature or DEC. You should check with the Bureau of Marine Resources to ensure that the fishing limits below are in effect. Our contact information is given in the column to the right. Links to the actual text of the marine finfish regulations (Part 40) are in the Related Links column to the right. The actual text for the lobster and crabs regulations (Part 44) are available there, too. A link to the print version of these regulations is also available in the column to the right.

AMERICAN LOBSTER (REC. PERMIT REQ.) Length: *LMA6 3 5/16" / **LMA4 3/3/8" Creel limit: 6 Season: all year Special Conditions: Lobsters and crabs in spawn (eggs visible thereon) may not be taken or possessed. Minimum size is over carapace. *LMA6 is Long Island Sound. **LMA4 is Atlantic Ocean.

ATLANTIC COD Length: 22 Creel limit: See note * Season: all year Special Conditions: The daily possession limit for Atlantic cod taken by recreational anglers is reduced to 10 fish. Anglers fishing on board federally permitted party or charter boats may possess any number

AMERICAN SHAD Length: none Creel limit: 0 Season: none Special Conditions: possesion prohibited as of March 17, 2010

ATLANTIC STURGEON: MARINE WATERS Length: moratorium Creel limit: moratorium Season: moratorium Special Conditions: moratorium now in effect

BLACK SEA BASS Length: 13 Creel limit: 10 Season: June 13 - Oct 1, Nov 1 - Dec 31 Special Conditions: Length measurement DOES NOT include tail filament.

BLUEFISH Length: none (see special conditions) Creel limit: 15 Season: All Year Special Conditions: No more than 10 of which may be less than 12" in length

COBIA Length: 37 Creel limit: 2 Season: all year Special Conditions: none

CRABS (OTHER THAN BLUECLAWS) Length: no size limit Creel limit: 50 Season: all year Special Conditions: Lobsters and crabs in spawn (eggs visible thereon) may not be taken or possessed.

KING MACKEREL Length: 23 Creel limit: 3 Season: all year Special Conditions: none

MONKFISH (GOOSE FISH) Length: 17, 11 tail length Creel limit: any number Season: all year Special Conditions: none

POLLOCK Length: 19 Creel limit: Any number Season: all year Special Conditions: none

RED DRUM Length: No minimum size Creel limit: No limit for fish less than 27" Season: all year Special Conditions: Fish greater than 27" shall not be possessed

SCUP (PORGY) (PARTY/CHARTER BOATS) Length: 11 Creel limit: 10 / 40*** Season: June 8 - Sept 6 / Sept 7 - Oct 11*** Special Conditions: ***Party/Charter boat customers taking more than 10 scup from Sept 7 - Oct 11 must possess an original dated receipt from the licensed vessel.

SPANISH MACKEREL Length: 14 Creel limit: 15 Season: all year Special Conditions: none

STRIPED BASS (MARINE WATERS) Length: 1 @ 28" - 40", a 2nd >40" Creel limit: 2 Season: April 15 - December 15 Special Conditions: Marine Waters - South of George Washington Bridge. Recreational anglers may possess one striped bass between 28" and 40", and one additional striped bass over 40

SUMMER FLOUNDER (FLUKE) Length: 20.5 Creel limit: 3 Season: Open May 1 - Sept 30 Special Conditions: Summer flounder may not have heads or tails removed or be otherwise cleaned, cut, filleted, or skinned until brought to shore, with the following exception: the white side fillet or white skin only of a legal size fluke may be removed to use as bait. The carcass of the fluke with dark side completely intact must be retained for inspection of size limit and counts against the possession limit.

TAUTOG (BLACKFISH) Length: 14 Creel limit: 4 Season: Oct. 1 to Dec 20 / Jan 17 - April 30 Special Conditions: none

WEAKFISH Length: see special Creel limit: 1 Season: all year Special Conditions: Size limits: 16", 10" filleted, 12" dressed

WINTER FLOUNDER Length: 12 Creel limit: 2 Season: April 1st- May 30 Special Conditions: none

YELLOWTAIL FLOUNDER Length: 13 Creel limit: none Season: all year Special Conditions: none

AMERICAN EEL Length: 6 Creel limit: 50 Season: All year Special Conditions:

BLUECLAW CRABS Length: See special Creel limit: 50 Per Person Season: none Special Conditions: Minimum Sizes: (all sizes spike tip to spike tip) Hard Shell 4.5 inches Soft Shell 3.5 inches Peeler/shedder 3 inches Lobsters and crabs in spawn (eggs visible thereon) may not be taken or possessed.

SCUP (PORGY) (ALL OTHER ANGLERS) Length: 10.5 Creel limit: 10 Season: May 24 - September 26 Special Conditions:

STRIPED BASS (MARINE WATERS PARTY/CHARTER BOATS) Length: 28 Creel limit: 2 Season: April 15 - December 15 Special Conditions: Anglers fishing aboard NYS licensed party/charter vessels may possess two fish any length over 28". An angler in possession of two fish between 28" and 40", or two fish over 40", must have a dated, commercially printed receipt from a NYS licensed party/charter vessel

HICKORY SHAD Length: No limit Creel limit: 5 Season: all year Special Conditions:

COASTAL AND PELAGIC SHARKS Length: 54 inches fork length* Creel limit: 1 per vessel per trip Season: all year Special Conditions: All landed sharks must have head tail and finns attached, No sale allowed, No finning. Fork length means the straightline measurement of a fish from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail. *The measurement is not made along the curve of the body.

COASTAL AND PELAGIC SHARKS (PROHIBITED SHARKS) Length: No possession allowed Creel limit: No possession allowed Season: Special Conditions: Atlantic Angel, Galapagos, Basking, Longfin Mako, Bigeye Sand Tiger, Narrowtooth, Bigeye Sixgill, Night, Bigeye Thresher, Sand Tiger, Bignose, Sevengill, Carribian Reef, Sixgill, Carribian Sharpnose, Smalltail, Dusky, Whale and White+

STRIPED BASS (NORTH OF GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE) Length: 18" minimum Creel limit: 1 Season: March 16 - November 30 Special Conditions: none

HADDOCK Length: 18" Creel limit: None Season: all year Special Conditions: none

OYSTER TOADFISH Length: 10" minimum Creel limit: 3 Season: July 16 - May 14 Special Conditions:

HORESHOE CRAB Length: No minimum size Creel limit: 5 Season: all year Special Conditions:

COASTAL SHARKS (ATLANTIC SHARPNOSE/BONNETHEAD) Length: No minimum size Creel limit: One per person per trip Season: all year Special Conditions: